Grain separator



June 10, 1930. H. L. JOHNSON GRAIN SEPARATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1926 gwuwnfoz June 10, 1930. H. L. JOHNSON GRAIN SEPARATOR June 10, 1930. JOHNSON 1,762,632

GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 10, 1930 OFFICE HARRY L. JOHNSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA GRAIN SEPARATOR Application filed December 3, 1926.

This invention relates to grain cleaning and separating machines, and the primary object is to provide a novel, efficient and practical machine which is designed for segregating grain kernels of various sizes and which is particularly adapted for separating wheat from oats, as well as from other larger and smaller grains. Further and more specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the machine, as seen from the right in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view about as on the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine, fractional portions being broken away for purpose of illustration.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the machine, as on the line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View of a section of one of the grain separating cylinders.

Fig. 6 is a detailed section on the line 66 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing more particularly and by reference characters 7 designates a large housing or casing in which are journaled a series of parallel and longitudinally extending shafts 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. At what may be conveniently designated as the right end of the machine, the shafts 8 and 9 are respectively provided with large sprocket gears 20 and 21, and the shafts 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, are provided, respectively with sprocket pinions 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, which, together with the sprocket gears 20' and 21, are all driven by a single sprocket chain 29, the shaft 10, which carries the pinion 22, is driven by a chain 30 (see Fig. 3,) which passes over a sprocket gear 31, on the shaft 10, and over a similar gear 32, on the shaft ll. These members 30, 31 and 32 are removed in Fig. 1. I The shaft 11, has a pulley 33, on one end, by which it and the entire machine is operated. The sprocket chain 29- is held taut by an idler pinion 34,

Serial N 0. 152,430.

carried by a link 35, and which is influenced by a tensionv spring 86 (see Fig. 1).

The main casing 7 is provided with a pair of hinged lids 37 and 38, and a pair of hinged side doors 39 and 40, which when opened, permit access to any part of the interior of the machine.

Mounted upon the shafts 8 and 9, within the casing, are a pair of relatively large drums or cylinders 41 and 42, which are slightly spaced from each other, and which rotate in opposite directions with their upper surfaces away from each other. The peripheries of these drums are provided, substantially throughout their lengths, with large numbers of small indents or pockets 43. The drums 41 and 42 are preferably formed of sheet metal, so that these pockets may be pressed or formed into the metal.

The pockets are concave, being substantially semispherical, as shown in Fig. 6, this particular form or shape being especially desirable, for reasons that will appear later.

Positional longitudinally between and adjacent to the cylinders 41 and 42, is a divider or grain displacement bar 44, having a pair of flaps or aprons 45 which rest upon the cylinders, so as to prevent grain from slipping or leaking down between the divider and cylinders. The objects of this bar 44, which is carried by the ends of the machine, are three-fold, namely, to form a bottom for the trough formed by the cylinders, to distribute the grain equally to both cylinders, and, to displace the part of the trough in which dead or inactive grain would accumulate if the bar was lower down or if there was no bar and the cylinders were in contact with each other to orevent the escape of grain. Furthermore, as the cups 43 are uniformly concave and smooth they cannot pick up any grain until they have passed a considerable distance up from the median line between the two rollers, or until they pass up from under the upper edges of the aprons 45, there is no necessity for the grain to come in contact with the cylinders below these edges.

The grain to be separated is fed by a feed screw 46, of the shaft 11, from the main rewill come in contact with rotary brushes 50,

'3 and therefore do not disturb the wheat kerto a beam 52.

" will also,

ceiving hopper 47, and is gradually fed or augered along the trough, formed by the members 41, 42 and 44, until it has been thoroughly acted upon by the entire surface of the continuously rotating cylinders. By the time that the grain reaches the end of the trough the wheat (or other kernels to be separated out) has been carried away by and over the cylinders, leaving only the oats and other larger kernels and foreign matter to ry along the oats and larger grain; but, as this larger grain is longer or larger than the pockets 43 it will project above the eries of the drums, and, when so projecting,

carried by the rapidly rotating shafts 14 and 15, and be swept or thrown back into the machine. The bristles of these brushes, however, do not sweep into the pockets 43,

nels carried therein. To prevent the brushes from throwing oats and other matter into each other, I provide a pair of depending curtains 51, which are suitably secured as These curtains or flaps break the speed of the cats and let them drop back into the trough, andare preferably made of canvas or other flexible material so that they will not deflect or rebound the oats back into the brushes from which they were thrown. In order to keep the brushes clean from any grain or other matter which may have a tendency to cling thereto, I provide the shafts 16 and 17, with a pair of corrugated rollers 53, which rotate against the brushes and have a tendency to continually wipe them off. Guards 54 are secured to the lids 37 and 38, and about the inner sides of the rollers 53 to keep out the oats and other thrown back substances. To prevent leakage of grain out past the ends of the cylinders, I provide said ends with stationary straps or guards 55, the inner ends of which are suitably secured, as to the beam 44, while a wire 56 is passed over each and connected to a spring 57 ,so as to hold the strap down upon the end of the cylinder.

As the separated wheat is carried outwardly by and with the cylinders, it is dropped from the pockets 43 and down upon a 'pair of deflectors 58, which guide or defiect it onto a pair of shaker screens 59 and 60. 'These shakers are slidably carried in the housing 7, so that they may be reciproof course, be a tendency to also carperiphcated toward and from each other. They are also slightly inclined so that as the grain passes over them it will drop into a longitudinally extending trough 61, while the dust, and smaller particles of dirt and grains, will fall into the similarly extending troughs 62. The cleaned and separated wheat (or other grain) falling into the trough 61 is augered out and into a discharge spout 63, by a worm screw 64 carried by the shaft 10; while the dust-and smaller particles falling from the screens 5960 into troughs 62 are similarly augered out by screws 65 on the shafts 12 and 13.

The screens 59 and 60 are reciprocated or shaken by a mechanism which may be briefly described as follows:

The shaft 13 (see Fig. 1) a cam or eccentric 66 which rotates in a sleeve 67 of a link bar 68, the upper end of which is connected by a pivot 69, to a bent lever 70, carried on the shaft 18, and to a link 71 which pivots, as at 72, to one end of a bell-crank lever 73, which in turn is carried by the shaft 19. The lower ends of the levers 7 O and 73 are connected to the inner ends of pitmen 74 and 75. These pitmen are slightly flexible, so that they may be sprung out, from guide brackets 76, with their outer ends, to release pins 77 from engagement with the shaker screens. These pins reciprocate the shakers, and operate in slots 78 in the main casing. The object of permitting the disengagement of the pins is to release the shaker screens so that they is provided with may be quickly removed'for cleaning or for V substitution by other screens having larger or smaller meshes. In order that the screens may be actuated at both ends, so as to oper-.

'and reciprocatlng movements to the shaker screens.

- It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thegeneral design and structural details of the invention as herein shown and described, provided, however, that said modifications. come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully shown and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. In a grain separator, the combination including a pair of parallel rotatable cylinders, grain, pockets in their peripheries for removing grain of a predetermined size away from the trough, and vertically adjustable means machine, as indicated forming a trough for unseparated and having profusely distributed for feeding the grain into and through the trough.

2. In a grain separator, the combination including a pair of parallel rotatable cylinders, forming a trough for unseparated grain, and having profusely distributed pockets in their peripheries for removing grain of a predetermined size away from the trough, a screw member for augering the grain longitudinally of and in the trough, and means for vertically adjusting one end of the screw member so as to regulate its grain feeding capacity.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pair of upwardly and outwardly rotating, grain separating cylinders, the same being parallel so as to comprise the sides of a central grain trough, and a divider member extending longitudinally of and substantially between the cylinders to form a bottom for the trough, said divider having a pair of flexible flanges which snugly engage the cylinders so as to prevent leakage of grain between the cylinders and the dividers.

4. In a grain separator, the combination including a pair of parallel rotatable cylinders, forming a central trough for unseparated grain, and having profusely distributed pockets in their peripheries for removing grain of a predetermined size away from the trough, and yieldable means, contacting with the cylinders, at the bottom of the trough, to prevent leakage of grain downwardly between the cylinders.

5. In a grain separator, the combination including a pair of parallel rotatable cylinders, forming a trough for unseparated grain, and having profusely distributed pockets in their peripheries for removing grain of a predetermined size away from the trough, and means spaced from the trough, for contacting with the peripheries of the cylinders, to remove grain therefrom which projects above the pockets, as the cylinders rotate, and spring retained strap members engageable over the ends of the cylinders.

6. In a grain separator, the combination including a pair of horizontal, rotatable cylinders, forming a trough for unseparated grain, and having profusely distributed pockets in their peripheries for removing grain of a predetermined size away from the trough, and adjustable means, having moving parts, for acting upon the grain to feed it through the trough.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY L. JOHNSON. 

